Diving board



w. J. NIGHTINGALE March 25, 1952 DIVING BOARD 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 [N VE N TOE SQ mi w? mm i w? L mm L nu fl... m n w BN i w j N N nwm W NW J N m m5 WY 5 March 25, 1952 w. J. NIGHTINGALE 2,590,563

DIVING BOARD Patented Mar. 25, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,590,563 DIVING BOARD William J. Nightingale, Valparaiso, Ind. Application September 29, 1949, Serial No. 118.606

4 Claims.

Thisinvention relates to a diving-board struc- .ture' wherein the diving board portion is substantially rigid and resistance to load is provided by spring means connected to the diving board portion. Thev invention relates particularly to; such a divingboard structure that is compact "Similar. diving boards are .shown and claimed inmyicopending' application Serial No. 118,605, filed September 29', 1949.

.One of the features of this invention is the provision :of a compact diving board structure of low height; with all moving parts other than the divingboard itself located in a housing beneath the structure; another feature of the invention is the provision .of .spring means. comprising a torsion bar to resist the load on the diving board portion; another feature of the invention is the location of the 'torsionbar beneath the diving board structure and extending substantially parallel to the axis of the diving board portion; still another feature is :the provision of means for regulating the resistance of the torsion bar bychanging the effective length of said bar. Other features of the invention will become apparent in the detailed description of one embodiment of the invention given hereinafter.

One embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings. Of the drawings Fig. l is a plan view of a diving board structure embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is an elevation ofthe' diving board structure; Fig. 3 is-a section taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section taken substantially through the center of the diving board structure; Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken along line 6-45 of Fig. 4; and Fig. 7 is a vertical section taken along line 1-1 of Fig. 4.

The diving board structure shown in the accompanying drawings comprises an approach platform I0, a diving board II hingedly connected to the approach platform by means of a cross rod I2, a rear post I3 for supporting the rear end of the approach platform I0, side housing members I4 located beneath the approach platform and diving board and arranged substantially vertically and parallel to each other, and a torsion bar I5 beneath the diving board II for resisting deflection of the diving board.

The approach platform I0 and diving board I I are each made of inverted channel members having cross bracing I6 to make them as rigid structure with all moving parts exceptthe diving board completely housed.

The torsion bar I5 isarranged horizontally and substantially parallel to the axis of thediving board I I. The rear end'of the torsion bar extends through a vertical plate zll th'a't'is held between the side housingmembers I4. "Slidably mounted on the torsion bar I 5,which is of square cross-section, is a'rectangular stop'memberzl that extends between the side housing members I4. This stop member is slidably held between four bars 22 which serve as'guides for'movement of the stop member. These guides" are parallel to eachother and are mounted 'onthe housing members 14. By moving the stopmember 2| to various positions along the torsion bar l5 the efiective length of the torsion bar may be easily regulated. The stop member ma be moved by any means desirable, but as shown is caused to move by means of a threaded "rod 23 arranged parallel to the torsion bar. One'end of the rod is rotatably held in the vertical plate 20, while the other end is rotatably held in a second vertical plate 24 located near the other end of the torsion bar. The rod 23 engages a similarly threaded block v25 on the stop'member 2|. The outer end 26 of the threaded rod has a pin 21 arranged so that a crank may be placed on the rod to engage the pin, thus providing means for turning the rod and moving the stop member backward or forward. The other or front end of the torsion bar I5 extends through a rotatable sleeve 28 to which the rod is anchored. This sleeve rotates in a cylindrical collar 29 having a bearing surface 30. The collar is held by parallel vertical plates 24 and 3i extending between side housing members I4. The collar 29 is provided with a screw 32 whose inner end engages an annular groove 33 in the rotatable sleeve 23. This screw and groove serves to hold the sleeve in position.

Attached to the front end of the torsion bar I5, where it extends through the sleeve 28 is a horizontal arm 34. This arm is at right angles to the axis of the torsion bar I5, and has its free end substantially beneath the center of the diving board H. The arm 34 is attached to the torsion bar by means of two pins 35 and 36. On the top surface of the outer or free end of the arm 34 there is located a socket member 31 having a hemispherical depression in its top surface. Immediately above the socket member 31 there is located a second socket member 38 having a similarly shaped depression in its bottom surface. The second socket member 38 is mounted on a pair of parallel cross pieces 39 extending across the bottom of the diving board H.

Arranged between the socket members 31 and 38 is a vertical linkage member 4%] having hemispherical ends positioned within the respective socket members. In order to prevent vibration of the board from accidentally displacing the linkage member 40 there is provided a retaining means, here shown as a flat bar 4i extending from the arm 34 to one of the cross pieces 39. This flat bar is arranged adjacent and parallel to the linkage member 4!} and is fastened to the cross piece 39 by a screw 42 and to the arm 34 by a second screw 43. The lower end of the flat bar 4|, which is held by the screw 43, is provided with an elongated slot 44 to allow some play in the bar.

When a load is placed on the diving board H the arm 34 is pressed down and twists the torsion bar l5. Thus the torsion bar serves as a spring to resist the load and provide springiness in the diving board. The board may be adjusted for various weights by moving the stop member 2| to change the effective length of the torsion bar [5. The torsion bar l has a square cross section which passes through a square hole in the stop member 2 I, and thus the stop member prevents turning of the torsion bar at the point where the bar passes through the stop member.

Having described my invention as related to the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, it is my intention that the invention be not limited by any of the details of description unless otherwise specified, but rather be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as set out in the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus of the class described, a supporting structure, a diving board hinged adjacent its rear end to said structure, a member on said supporting structure and having an angular aperture, an angular torsion member freely extending through said aperture, a crank arm upon said torsion member, a crank arm engaging actuator on said diving board for operating said crank arm in one direction, and means for relatively adjusting said members for varying the effective length of said torsion member.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, a supporting structure, a diving board hinged adjacent its rear end to said supporting structure, a torsion bar having a non-rotatable portion and a rotatable twisting portion, a crank arm upon said rotatable twisting portion, a member on said diving board for cooperative relation with said crank arm, means for supporting said torsion bar whereby the length of said rotatable twisting portion may be varied, and means for varying the length of said rotatable twisting portion.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, a supporting structure, a diving board having its rear end portion hinged to said supporting structure for up and down whipping movements, an angular torsion bar extending longitudinally of said diving board, means associated with said supporting structure for mounting said torsion bar for non-rotary movements at one point and for rotary twisting movements beyond said point, a crank arm upon the rotary twisting portion of said torsion bar, a member upon said diving board for'cooperative relation with said crank arm for moving the same in a downward direction upon downward tilting movement of said diving board, and means for varying the effective rotary twisting length of said torsion bar.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, a supporting structure, a diving board hinged adjacent its rear end to said supporting structure, an anchor member associated with said supporting structure and having an angular aperture, a longitudinally extending angular torsion member extending through said aperture and confined against rotary movements therein and having a rotary twisting section beyond said aperture, a crank arm upon the twisting portion of said torsion bar, an actuator upon said diving board for cooperative relation with said crank arm for moving the same in one direction and means for longitudinally adjusting one of said members relative to the other member for varying the effective twisting section of said torsion member.

WILLIAM J. NIGHTINGALE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,223,741 Rabe Dec. 3, 1940 2,238,380 Alman Apr. 15, 1941 2,251,766 Stark Aug. 5, 1941 

